Starting mechanism for automobiles



Sf EECHANISE FOR AUTOMOBILES Fim not.. 1e 1919 INVENTOR l f d' i ATTORNEY l wl ssEs:

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I BY Patented Nov. 6, 1923.

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CARL H. KINDL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATIUN OF lENNSYLVJLNIAn STRTING MECHANSM FCR AUTOYGBLES.

Application filed ctober 18, 1919. Serial ITo. 331,558.

T0 all whom i may concern:

Be it `Known that I, CARL H. KINDL, a citizen ot the llnited States. and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county ot Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting Mechanism for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to starting mechanisms for automobiles and particularly to means tor controlling the operative connec tion of starting motors to the shafts of internal-combustion engines.

The object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and compact arrangement .vhereby a starting motor may be automatically connected to, and disconnected trom, the shaft of an internal-combustion engine.

In practicing my invention, l provide an electric motor with an extended-shaft and mount thereon a helical tooth pinion rotating therewith but having axial movement thereon, and yieldingly restrain the pinion in one position on the shaft. l provide a second shaft parallel to the motor shaft and mount thereon a pinion adapted to c-o-operate with, and be driven by, the pinion on the motor shaft. vThe co-operating pinion is connected to, or is integral with, a pinion which is adapted to operatively engage a gear wheel connected to a rotating part of the engine and to drive the same. The'pinions on the second shaft rotate therewith but have axial movement thereon, stop members being provided to limit the axial movement of the pinions on the shaft.

In the single sheet of drawings is shown a side elevation, partly in section, of the device embodying my invention.

An electric motor 1, only one end of which is shown, is provided with an extended shaft 2. A pinion 3, of relatively great width and having helical teeth, is mounted on the shaft 2 and is arranged to have axial movement thereon but to rotate therewith, by means of a key 4 secured to the shaft. A collar 5 is suitably secured to the shaft to limit the axial movement ot the pinion 3 in one direction ot its motion, and a helical spring ti is located on the shaft between a collar 7 and the pinion 8 to yieldingly limit the axial movement of the pinion on the shaft in the other direction of its motion. The Outer end ot the shaft 2 is provided'with a. suitable bearing B in a`n enclosing casing 8 which is suitably secured to a supporting housing 9, only a part of which is shown in the drawing.

An auxiliary or intermediate shaft 10 is provided parallel to the motor shaft to op erate in suitable bearings 11 in the casing 8. A helical gear wheel 12 meshes with the pinion 3 and is integral or connected with a pinion 13, both members 12 and 13 being mounted on the auxiliary shaft 10 for axial movement thereon and for rotative movement therewith," a key 14 being secured to the shaft 10 to ensure that the members 12 and 13A shall have themovements described. Collars 15 and 16 are mounted on the shaft 10 and suitably secured thereto to retain the shaft in its proper axial position in its bearings. The collar 125 operates also as a stop member for the pinion 13 when it is in operative engagement -with a gear Wheel 17 which is operatively connected to a rotating part of the internal-combustion engine (not shown). An eccentric weight; 18 is suitably secured tothe shaft 10 to increase the moment of inertia of rotation and also to act as a stop m'cmber'to' limit the axial movement ot' the members 12 and 13 in one direction ot' their movement.

The operation ot the device is as follows:

.assuming that the various parts are in the positions shown in the drawing, with .the motor at rest, it' the motor shaft is caused to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed from the outer end thereof and indicated by the arrowv` the inertia ofthe eccentric weight 1S and ot the members 12 and 13 will tend to load the motor shaft 2. By reason ot' the angle of the helical lgear teeth on the pinion 3 and the gear wheel 12, there willbe an axial component of thetorque transmitted by the gears which will cause the members 12 and 13 to move axially on the shaft 10 in a direction to cause the pinion 13 to mesh with the gear wheel 17. Then this occur-s, a greater torque will be transmitted by the members 3 and 12 and, consequently, there will be a greater endthrust on the members 12 and 13, causing the pinion 13 to mesh completely with the gear wheel 17 until its face engages the stop. member-15. p

The pinion 3 Will have an axial movement on the shaft 2 in a. direction opposite to the v will be yieldingly resisted by the spring 6. lf, as may occur, the teeth of the pinion 13 engage the teeth of the gear wheel 17 in end-to-end relation, the helical spring will i receive the shook transmitted through the members 12 and 13, causing the pinion 3 to have an axial movement on the shaft 2 toward the motor 1, releasing the pinion 13u and the gear wheel 17 from their end-to-end relation, and then vpermitting them to mesh 't5 compression points, the axial reaction component will cause the pinion 3 to move toward the motor end of the shaft 2 and to further compress the spring 6. While the eccentric Weight 18 may be made an integral part of the gear wheel 12, I prefer the construction shown in the drawing for the rea son that, in the illustrated embodiment of my invention, the inert-ia of rotation is the same as, and the inertia to axial motion is less than, would be the case if the eccentric Weight 18 were integral with the gear wheel 12.

1ilihile l have shown one embodiment of my invention, various changes may be. made therein Without departingl from the spirit and scope of my invention, and l desire that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are indicated by the prior art or are peciically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a shaft and a pinion, of means whereby the rotation ot' said shaft ei'ects they longitudinal movement or said pinion, said means comprising a niember secured to said pinion, a member mov- Lemmi ably mounted on said shaft and operatively `connected. to the rstnanied member and an inertia device rotatable, but not longitudinally movable, with said pinion.

2. The combination with a driving sha-itt, a driving member mounted theneon for rotary movement therewith and for longitudinal movement relatively thereto, a second driving shaft, a driving member mounted on the latter shaft for rotary movement therewith and axial movement thereon, of means mounted on the said second shaft for effecting the axial movement of said second driving member, said means comprising a pinion connected to said second. driving member and having an inclined surface for coacting with said first driving member and an inertia device secured to said second shaft.

3. In a starting device, the combination with ashat't and two gear wheels that are movable into and out of engagement.. of means including relatively movable niembers for controlling the engagement of said rear wheels, and means for increasing the inertia of rotation of one of said members while maintaining its inertia of translation.

4. 1n a starting device, the combination with a motor having a shaft and a pair of coacting gear wheels, of means whereby the inertia of one of said gear Wheels eliects its translation into engagement with the other lrear wheel upon rotation of said shaft, and an inertia device rotatable, but not trans latable, with said one gear wheel.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of ct., 1019.

CARL H. K1N DL. 

